Chapter 102: Florence

"Yes, Consul Napoleon. Rest assured, I will take good care of Roland," Desaix promised loudly, looking at Roland before straightening up and confidently assuring Napoleon.

With Napoleon's strategic shift to the southern front, a large number of troops left Tunaia, advancing southward toward Florence.

Florence, originally a republic city-state within Italy, had been occupied by Austria since the Austrians defeated the French and took control of Italy. It had become the garrison for the Hungarian Hussars. Now, a large number of French troops had arrived at the borders of Florence, swearing to defeat the Hungarian cavalry and reclaim the city.

"Hey, Murat, the orders from headquarters have finally arrived. How about we take on the task of luring the enemy?" said Davout, the commander of the Northern Cavalry Division, with a smile.

"Get lost! We already discussed this, didn't we? The task of luring the enemy falls to our Central Cavalry Division. Not only that, but when the Austrians fall into our trap and we encircle and annihilate them from both flanks, our Central Cavalry Division will be involved too. Don't forget, we have a huge score to settle!" Murat, commander of the Central Cavalry Division, replied without hesitation, rejecting Davout's request.

Even though Davout had once saved his life, Murat wouldn't let him take this task. This was the Central Cavalry Division's comeback battle, and Murat needed it to be a resounding success. Not even Napoleon could convince him otherwise.

After sternly refusing Davout, Murat quickly turned and rode off to relay orders to his brigade and regiment commanders. Despite the imminent confrontation with the fierce Hungarian Hussars, the French cavalry were unperturbed, as if they were facing insignificant foes instead of world-renowned warriors.

"Gentlemen, according to the plan, our 1st Brigade of the Central Cavalry Division will advance to draw Philip into battle. We'll engage the Austrians in a bloody fight on the plains outside the city. The remaining two brigades will cooperate with Davout's Northern Cavalry Division. Once you receive our signal, strike from the right flank and encircle the Austrian cavalry. I want to ensure that the Austrians' cavalry corps is utterly destroyed here," Murat declared to his officers within the division headquarters.

"Exactly! The Austrian cavalry are said to be descendants of the Huns, the Scourge of God, but I just don't believe they're that formidable. Watch closely! This time, we'll hit them hard and show them what our cavalry is truly capable of," said the commander of the 1st Brigade with a determined expression.

He had participated in the Battle of Tunay before, and his brigade had suffered heavy casualties with nearly two thousand men killed. Therefore, he harbored intense hatred toward the Austrians and wanted nothing more than to immediately avenge his fallen brothers.

According to the planned operational strategy, the 1st Cavalry Brigade left their base and advanced toward Florence, intentionally increasing the distance between themselves and the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Brigades.

The actions of the French cavalry immediately caught the attention of the Austrian army. Upon hearing this, General Philip immediately ordered reconnaissance units to investigate the movements of the French cavalry.

From then on, the reconnaissance units of both sides frequently encountered each other, sometimes even engaging in intense skirmishes.

"General, latest intelligence report: a French cavalry brigade, comprising over two thousand men, is now less than eighty kilometers away from us. However, they are lingering near the border and have no immediate plans to move further south," reported a staff officer to General Philip inside Florence.

"Damn! What are those French up to?" General Philip frowned deeply upon hearing this.

He had just resolved to lead his troops northward to attack the French and give them a good fight. At this moment, the French cavalry had unexpectedly mobilized, which undoubtedly gave him a sense of unusual significance.

"General, could this be a trap? The French are notorious for their cunning tactics," remarked General Anjou, Philip's deputy, speaking up.

"General Anjou, are you scared witless by those French? Even if the French are adept at tricks, what can they do? We have fifty thousand men, while the French army barely has two cavalry regiments, totaling just twenty thousand men. Besides, the combat prowess of the Hungarian Hussars is unmatched. Our soldiers can take on a hundred enemies each. Even if twenty thousand more French troops came, I wouldn't be afraid," scoffed another burly officer, Philip's other deputy, named Yegor.

"Hmph! I don't want to talk to you, you stupid brute. I still can't figure out how someone as dumb as you became a general," sneered Anjou in disdain after hearing his rival Yegor's words.

Upon hearing his archenemy Anjou's words, Yegor's face turned beet red. He wanted to argue back, but deep down, he knew Anjou was right. He was a simple-minded man, strong in body but lacking in intellect. He couldn't outwit Anjou.

"Enough! Stop arguing. It's late, and here you two are bickering," General Philip snapped angrily. These two idiots never knew when to quit. Bickering was one thing on normal days, but now, in such a critical situation, they were still squabbling.

Feeling Philip's anger, Major Generals Agata and Yegor reluctantly fell silent. However, their expressions clearly showed their disdain.

While Philip held the rank of Major General and was their commander, deep down, they felt he was just a "lowly" Hungarian. They, on the other hand, were "noble" Austrians. In their minds, it should be them leading the Hungarians, not the other way around. The fact that a Hungarian had climbed over their heads was something they deeply resented.

Philip was well aware of this sentiment. That's why he was so eager to find an opportunity for promotion.

(At this time, the Holy Roman Empire is somewhat similar to the later Qing Dynasty. The empire is led by Austrians, similar to the Manchus in the Qing Dynasty, while the Hungarians are akin to the Han Chinese. To maintain control, they often employ strategies to suppress other ethnic groups. Despite the importance of Hungary, their status remains lower.)

(Although the cavalry is named Hungarian Hussars, there are also many Austrians within the army, mostly serving as officers.)

"Yes! The Austrian cavalry are called the descendants of the Huns, the Whips of God, but I refuse to believe they're really that formidable. Just watch! This time, we'll hit them hard and show them how skilled our cavalry truly is," said the commander of the 1st Brigade firmly.

He had participated in the Battle of Terni before and his brigade had suffered heavy losses, with nearly two thousand men killed. So, he harbored deep hatred towards the Austrians, wanting nothing more than to immediately kill them to avenge his fallen brothers.

According to the planned combat plan, the 1st Cavalry Brigade left its base and moved towards Florence, actively distancing itself from the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Brigades.

The actions of the French cavalry immediately drew the attention of the Austrian army. Upon this, General Philippe immediately ordered the reconnaissance unit to investigate the movements of the French cavalry.

From this point on, the two sides' reconnaissance units frequently encountered, often even exchange the

"We need to achieve a victory, not just for Archduke Karl's demand, but for Vienna's demand as well. So, no matter what tricks those Frenchmen have, we must defeat them. Perhaps, that cavalry brigade heading south is nothing but a lure set by the French. They want to use this bait to hook us. But the great Hungarian hussars are absolutely not something the newly formed French Imperial Guard can contend with. We will make them pay a heavy price. Locks, I think we should first take this bait, then find an opportunity to strike a greater blow against those Frenchmen," commanded General Philippe.

"Very well!" nodded Anjou and Yegor, although they had some disdain for Philippe, he was still their superior officer at this moment, so they couldn't openly contradict him.

"Yes, General. Rest assured, we will defeat the French," the other Austrian generals replied one after another, seeing that Anjou and Yegor had no objections.

"The 1st Cavalry Division will lead the main attack against the French cavalry brigade. The 2nd Cavalry Division will serve as the reserve. As for the 3rd Cavalry Division, the 4th Cavalry Brigade, and the corps' direct units, they will be on alert against other French cavalry units. I don't care what conflicts you two have. But this time, we must annihilate the French cavalry brigade, not just defeat them!" General Philippe gritted his teeth as he spoke.